1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Jewelry, more specifically to jewelry having a large gem which is simulated by juxtaposition of smaller gems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a piece of jewelry, the apparent size of a gem contributes greatly to the beholder's perception of beauty and value of the piece.
Many of the most favored gemstones for jewelry are not available in impressively large sizes unless they are manufactured artificially. Purchasers, however, prefer natural, mined, gemstones.
One way to obtain a large gem by using smaller gems is to join two smaller gems of the same type of gemstone, at a pair of facet faces which are matched in shape and size, one from each gemstone. The remaining portion of the joined gems which is visible in the jewelry setting is physically made in the shape of a solid, larger, unitary gem.
This requires expensive matching of the shape, color, and alignment of the joined facets which are held in place by prong setting. Nevertheless, when the two gems are so joined, the ordinary observer sees that they are two, discrete, gems joined together, rather than seeing them as a unitary or continuous gem.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,692 entitled "CUTTING AND ASSEMBLY OF PRECIOUS STONES" issued on Jul. 30, 1968 to jean Sirakian identified a method of cutting and assembling matching smaller stones to form a larger marquise or navette. The Sirakian method specifically teaches that the base pavilion is prepared without additional faceting such that base pavilion 20 of each stone of the Sirakian patent is a continuous surface as illustrated both in FIGS. 2 and 3. In order to reduce the visibility of the joint between the stones, Sirakian states in col. 3 that the base pavilion has the single facet illustrated in FIG. 3 and that the cullett 24 is positioned at about 9/10 of the length of the stone. Sirakian specifically suggests in col. 3 that a conventional cut would have the cullett at about 6/10 of the length of the stone.
The present invention specifically improves upon the Sirakian teaching by providing additional faceting for the base pavilion surface and by locating the cullett at about 6/10 of the length of the stone which provides an enhanced resulting combination eliminating the dark zone in the assembled stone and providing optimal light reflection. By providing the combination of the additional faceting for the base pavilion and moving the cullett to approximately 6/10 the length of the stone, a reduction in the weight of each stone is achieved which results in reduced costs while the elimination of the dark zone in the region of the edges of the matching stones is also eliminated. While the inventor has not determined whether or not the elimination of the dark zone in Sirakian is as complete as that in the present invention, the inventor has determined that by additionally faceting the base pavilion surface, a reduction in stone size is achieved in the matching stones because the cullett can be moved more to the center of the stone than is taught in Sirakian.
It is one object of the present invention to provide jewelry with a gem made from gems, that is larger to the perception of the observer than the size of the individual gems from which it is made.
It is another object that the gem made from smaller gems presents to an ordinary observer a unitary, continuous gem that is larger than either of the gems from which it is made.
It is another object that the layer gem made from the smaller gems requires smaller gems of lower weight than previously required.
In accordance with the teachings of this invention, a marquise or navette is formed of two matching half marquise stones as viewed from the top which abut along a joining edge. The base pavilion surface of each stone has a second facet which abuts and angles from the first facet. The cullett is at approximately 6/10 the length of each half marquise stone.
Preferably the two stones are mirror images of one another when viewed directly down a bisecting ray of the angle of the divergence originating from the abutment of the facets.